I must say that without this weekly accountability thing, I would not be as productive as I have been. So thank you, ladies. Honestly. You're making sure I kick myself in overdrive every week.

Still, I'm shocked it's already the Week 4 check in. Shocked, I say.

How I Did Last Week

Send out at least 3 queries. (Honest.) Overachieved. I queried SIX.

Do some work on the SNI: either research setting possibilities or another chapter of PLANNING YOUR NOVEL. Overachieved. I'm 99% sure that The SNI will be set on the Oregon Coast and I worked 1/4 of the way through the next chapter of PLANNING YOUR NOVEL, which is Workshop 5.

Update master Scrivener template to include some more worldbuilding and character exercises. Done.

My Goal(s) For This Week

Send out at least 5 more queries.

Work my way through Workshops 5 and 6 of PLANNING YOUR NOVEL.

Outline major plot points for PHOENIX RISING's sequel.

Read.

Get in at least 15 minutes of exercise daily.

One Word/Phrase That Sums Up What I Wrote/Revised

I didn't write or revise anything this week due to what last weeks' goals were.

Biggest Challenge I Faced This Week

Getting out of my own way. Because of day job stress, I'm spending an unhealthy amount of time playing Candy Crush or Bejeweled. This time would be better spent reading or exercising or working on one of the 4 major projects I've decided to work on this summer. But for some reason it takes a major effort to push past the crap of my day job most days.

Something I Love About My WIP

Since last week was all about The SNI, I love how much work Future Alicia will be stuck with. Currently, The SNI is heavy in Japanese folklore--something I know nothing about--so there will be tons of research to do before and after November. Future Alicia is going to hate Past Alicia so much.

Honestly, I'm not liking this "oh we're already halfway through June" thing. I had a bit of anxiety typing Week 3 up there.

How I Did Last Week

I met all but one goal. I fell shy of querying 3 agents by one. But the two were important. I didn't realize how much work was required in 2 chapters of PLANNING YOUR NOVEL which contributed to not querying all three agents, but now I have something to strive for this week. And I'm super excited about the SNI. It's shaping up nicely.

My Goal(s) For This Week

Send out at least 3 queries. (Honest.)

Do some work on the SNI: either research setting possibilities or another chapter of PLANNING YOUR NOVEL.

Update master Scrivener template to include some more worldbuilding and character exercises.

One Phrase That Sums Up What I Wrote

Biggest Challenge I Faced This Week

Time management wasn't as big of a hurdle this week, even though it's still a problem since I didn't meet all my goals. But this week it was hard to get past myself. There's a lot of craptastic personal, non-writing stuff going on and it sometimes gets the best of me.

Something I Love About My WIP

Well, the SNI is still in developmental mode, so right now I'm loving everything. I had wanted to come up with something new to write but because of LIFE I've struggled with ideas. Thankfully working through Janice Hardy's book has helped me a lot. And once the SNI is more formed, I can't wait to share it with you guys.

How I Did Last Week

PHOENIX RISING is all revised. As is the query letter. It's all shiny and ready to go. I selected and read two complete books last week too. (SENTINEL and THE RETURN by Jennifer L. Armentrout) The only place I fell short was walking to work three times because... life, but that happens from time to time. And it's not like I didn't walk an equivalent on the days I didn't walk to work. So, yeah.

My Favorite Line From My Story

It's such a simple statement, but it's loaded with so much stuff left unsaid.

The Biggest Challenge I Faced This Week

Time management. (You'll see this show up. A lot.)

Something I Love About My WIP

I honestly love everything about my WIP. If I have to pick one specific thing, it would be the relationship between my MC and her secret boyfriend. Even when that relationship becomes messy, they just work well together.

Monday, June 8, 2015

For the last year, I've struggled with how to get blogging back into my writing routine. It's been hard prioritizing writing and all kinds of internet-y stuff, so I've focused on what ultimately counts -- the writing.

But I missed blogging (and you, Lurkdom). So I worked on a new schedule that incorporates blogging at least weekly. Lucky for me, Ready. Set. WRITE! popped up right after I worked out my new schedule.